Worth It in the End
by quixoticSorceress
Summary: Upon returning to Asgard, Loki has a lot of time to himself to think about what's transpired. When he next sees Thor, he asks if they can take a walk, just the two of them. They get to talking, and both Loki and Thor realize that they had misconceptions about the other... but that in the end, everything they went through was worth it.


**A/N:** ** This fanfic was requested by my friend rucistalkingclub on Tumblr, who wanted "Thor and Loki brotherly fluff". It was a little weird for me not writing a legit ship, but I hope I did it justice! Also, I was inspired mainly by Daughtry's brilliant song "September", and took a few of my ideas from the lyrics. The song belongs to Daughtry, Marvel belongs to itself, and Thor and Loki belong to whoever thought them up originally. X33**

* * *

Silence.

That one word seemed to define my life, more so of late. Forced silence on the journey between worlds, self-imposed silence during my trial… and now the uncertain silence between myself and the fair-haired god sitting to my right.

It had been a few months since I was brought from Earth back to Asgard. During that time I'd been mostly free to do as I wished, though I was constantly under guard. Between myself and my former friends there was a mutual silent barrier, due both to my status as a criminal and my newly-discovered origins in Jotunheim. Rooms fell quiet when I walked in, people stared as I passed… and I never said a word, never acknowledged anyone else, not even my guards or Odin.

I suppose that's why it came as such a shock, then, when earlier today I said my first word.

"Thor."

My voice was soft and slightly cracked from disuse, but everyone stopped when they heard it. I knew they were all staring; I could feel their eyes on me and the caped figure I now faced, though I ignored them, focusing instead on the one whose name I'd called. This was the first time I'd seen him since my trial, and as his blue eyes regarded me cautiously, I wondered if perhaps he'd been trying to avoid me. Was he ashamed of me, as were the others? I looked down, no longer meeting his gaze. "Never mind, I should…"

"What do you require, brother?"

The tenderness in his voice made me glance up again. I could hear the mutterings around us—his use of the term 'brother' had apparently startled them as well—but I once again pretended as if they were not there. "Will you walk with me?" I asked quietly, fully preparing myself for his refusal… but to my surprise and delight he nodded, then addressed the two guards that flanked me. "Leave us. I can handle my brother on my own."

The guards bowed and retreated, and Thor took their place by my side. "Where did you have in mind to go?"

"To the lake?" I suggested, and he gave a slight smile—I was referring to a very small, secluded lake we'd often visited as children. Even in the rain we'd dance around it and pretend we were warriors or kings, leading our people to victory through his strength and my magic. We were inseparable then… though it was true that as we'd grown older, we'd drifted apart, and rarely visited the spot anymore. Therefore I could tell that my suggestion pleased him, yet confused him at the same time. He'd likely assumed that I would never want to make the trip again, not since the truth about my birth was revealed. However, he made no comment, and we walked off together as we'd done so many times before.

And now here we sat some distance from the lake, bodies almost—but not quite—touching, a wall of silence between us. To my surprise, he was the first to break it. "Brother, I…"

"Don't apologize," I interrupted him gently. "Nothing that happened was your fault. Midgard, Asgard, Jotunheim… All were out of your control, and I don't blame you."

He sighed, hanging his head. "I failed you earlier than that. You were my brother, and I lacked the insight to see what you wanted and needed. If I had just been more aware…"

"Thor." He glanced at me, and I hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. "You did all you could. I was bitter before, and I didn't see how much you cared, how much I hurt you… I know now how wrong I was. If either of us should be asking for forgiveness, it is me."

He raised his own hand to cover mine, looking directly into my eyes. "You are always forgiven, Loki. Always."

I shook my head, breaking the eye contact. "I don't deserve such faith, not after what I've done… Especially to you, even though you had been nothing but kind to me. I can't believe I forgot all we had together, all the time we spent imagining a future so much brighter than how it truly turned out… I am sorry. You were—are—truly a brother to me, biological or not, and by that the only real family I ever had, beside perhaps Frigga. And you were also my only friend, the only person who believed in me, who I could go to when things went wrong. So, brother, I am truly sorry for the rift I have torn between us."

His hand shook, and I looked up to see tears in his eyes. "You tore no such rift. We were both fools. You have no idea how remorseful I am for everything that happened. I could have prevented it."

"Thor…"

He pulled me into a tight hug, and I hesitated for a moment before returning it, resting my forehead on his shoulder. "I will never abandon you again, brother, I swear."

Tears came to my eyes, unbidden, and I held him tighter. "Thank you, Thor…"

"And, Loki?" He pulled back to look at me, smiling gently. "Welcome home. I've missed you."

"And I you."


End file.
